State of the art in the determination of MTBE in natural waters and soils

Methyl tert-buthyl ether (MTBE) is used as an oxygenate additive in gasoline, and in the last years contamination of natural water, soils or air has taken place as result of MTBE use. Furthermore, MTBE is the second most common volatile compound (VOC) detected in a survey of shallow urban aquifers. This review focuses on the most critical steps, for sample preparation methodologies from an analytical point of view. Several enrichment and injection techniques are discussed, including direct injection, headspace analysis, purge and trap and solid-phase microextraction. The methods for the determination of methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) in environmental samples have been rapidly developed during last decade. Also, the current status of the analytical methods used in the determination of MTBE in water and soil is reviewed including the compound-specific stable isotope analysis (CSIA), which is an important tool in environmental sciences and allows the allocation of contaminant sources.